Camp is Closed.

Hey, guys! Happy Memorial Day Weekend. While I write this, I’m literally trying to find a session to jump into to play the new Friday the 13th game, but like, I’m writing this which should give you a hint as to where this is going. I’ve probably been trying for the past hour and haven’t played a single match. That’s scary in and of itself, am I right?!

The premise for this Kickstarter game is pretty fucking awesome. You play as either Jason or a teen trying to escape Jason. Within the length of a match, you either kill all of the teens who have wronged you with their sexual promiscuity or you escape/kill Jason. As of launch, there are three maps, including the famous Camp Crystal. As you progress, you unlock new costumes (skins) and animations. In the case of Jason, you can unlock new ways to kill the unsuspecting youth, such as crushing their heads, punching them right through the heart and many other disgusting kill shots.

Early reports are that the game is janky as hell. It sounds like the small studio behind the game is not only dealing with massive server issues but also patches to fix everything from small graphics clipping problems to massive game breaking bugs where progression isn’t saved.

There’s also apparently the matter of how fun it is to play as an unsuspecting teen. Some are saying that it’s kind of boring searching through drawers to find keys to then complete your objective. In addition, teamwork is supposed to become key. If all players are going after their part in the objective, perhaps it is fun to try to escape.

Of course, this is all predicated on the notion that you can actually get into the game. When I first booted it up, I dealt with everything from not even being able to get into the main menu, to getting to “quick play” and watching the time tick away. To its credit, the studio behind the game has admitted to the many issues pouring in from gamers and it would appear they’re doing everything they can to fix the problem. Still, for a game that’s currently multiplayer only, at $40, it needs to work. I want to support them, but honestly, this is yet another example in a recurring line of Kickstarter video game projects that hit the market and are not ready for prime time.

Verdict: It’s basically nothing if you can’t play a match, right? Microsoft will give you a refund if you reach out and say that the game isn’t working, but with such a cool concept, it’d be cooler if the game worked. I’ll probably write an updated review when the servers are all set, but for now, I’d hold off, read forums and buy when it sounds like the game is running without a hitch.